My Brother's Keeper

"Then the Lord said to Cain, "Where is your brother, Abel?" "I don't know," he replied. 

"Am I my brother's keeper?"

"Am I my brother's keeper?" That is a heck of a question to ask God who is ever present and all knowing. The audacity of Cain to answer a question with a question. It shows his callousness and ignorance. The answer to Cain's question is emphatically "YES!" We are all responsible for each other. We have an obligation to care for, love, and serve all of humanity.

Brotherhood is a word that get's thrown around a lot in the fire service. Some say it exists and others claim it is dead. I say that Brotherhood(our sisters included) is up to me. It is not up to the next person, the station officer, or the Chief. I am responsible to be my brother's and sister's keeper. 

Ever since I entered HFD in 2003, I have been fortunate to be part of some amazing crews that accepted me and my family into theirs. These crews were diverse in every way and intricately involved in each other's lives. Brotherhood is taking care of each other on the job, but it really shows true in taking care of each other when we're off duty. 

An article from 2018 in Fire Rescue 1 stated in 2017 there were more deaths by suicide in the fire and police service than line of duty deaths. This is both staggering and heart breaking. The reasons for and solutions to are all complex. I believe that we can all be part of the solution. We can all help carry the load when one of our own hits hard times. We can all be on the lookout for the subtle changes in behavior that occur when we are struggling.  We can listen for the verbal cues our members give when they feel they can't go on. We can all speak up and ask the hard question of their desire and plan for suicide. If we see something ,we can say something. We can refer them to one of our Docs, Chaplains, or the EAP. We can all pray for them daily and with them in the moment. 

It is about all of us doing our part. Say it with me.  I. AM. MY. BROTHER'S. KEEPER. 

Be Blessed,

Captain Bobby Delgado

HFD Chaplain

1-800-273-8255

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline